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FROM CHRISTMAS 
TO EASTER 

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By 
LUCY H. HEATH 



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Cmchmait: 
JENNINGS AND GRAHAM 



EATON AND MAINS 






COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY 
JENNINGS AND GBAHAM 



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©CI.A343198 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 



CHAPTER I 

One night, in the long ago time, while 
shepherds watched their flocks in the fields 
around Bethlehem, in the land of Pales- 
tine, they were startled by the sudden 
appearance of an angel clothed in bright 
raiment, and a bright glory shone all 
around them. It was so light that the 
sheep were roused from slumber and called 
to their shepherds in a frightened bleat. 
But the shepherds were filled with awe, 
and stood speechless, looking at their heav- 
enly visitor. The angel spoke to them. 
His voice was like music, sweet and clear, 
and they never forgot what he said. Listen 
to his words: "Fear not: for, behold, I 
bring you good tidings of great joy, which 
shall be to all people. For unto you is 
born this day, in the city of David, a 
Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this 

5 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the 
Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in 
a manger." Then the bright cloud which 
was above them parted, and a host of glit- 
tering angels was with them, praising God, 
and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, 
and on earth peace, good will toward men." 

The shepherds watched the bright cloud, 
which received the angels out of their sight, 
until it was lost from view in the heavens; 
Then they said, "Let us go to Bethlehem, 
and see this Savior King, whose birth has 
been made known to us." With the echo 
of that first Christmas song still ringing in 
their ears, they hurried away to Bethlehem. 

These shepherds were humble, prayerful 
men, and knew that God had promised to 
send a Savior King, and that the whole 
Jewish nation was looking for Him. They 
also knew that He was expected suddenly 
to appear in a mysterious way in the 
temple and deliver them from the Romans 
and reign over the Jewish nation. In low, 

6 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

excited tones they asked one another if it 
could be possible that He was born as a 
little child, and that God had honored 
them by telling them of His birth. 

Now, there were many people in Beth- 
lehem at that time, for Caesar, the Roman 
king, had commanded all the people to 
enroll their names for future taxation. The 
ancient Jewish custom was not to take the 
census in the places where the people lived 
at the time, but at the places where they 
belonged as members of the original twelve 
tribes. 

Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, 
and they had to go nearly one hundred 
miles, for they belonged to the royal town 
of Bethlehem. When they arrived, weary 
with the long journey, they found that the 
town was full of strangers who had also 
come to enroll their names. Every house 
was crowded, but near the inn there was a 
stable, where they were permitted to stay. 
And there the Son of God was born. There 

7 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

the shepherds found Mary and Joseph and 
the Babe lying in a manger, just as the 
angel had told them. They praised God, 
and repeated to Joseph what the angel 
had said to them, also the song which the 
angels had sung. But Joseph and Mary 
already knew that her baby was the 
promised Savior, for God had sent an 
angel to tell them "That He was the 
Spirit of God clothed in a human body." 
They kept the secret locked in their hearts. 
It was too sacred to tell to others, but 
they thought much about the wonderful 
mystery. 

When the Child was eight days old 
they named Him Jesus, and a few weeks 
later they carried Him to Jerusalem, to 
offer a sacrifice in the temple, as the 
Jewish law required. There an aged priest, 
whose name was Simeon, and Anna, a 
prophetess, openly worshiped Him, for the 
Holy Spirit had made it known to them 
that He was the promised Savior. 

8 



CHAPTER II 

Far away to the east, in the countries be- 
yond the Euphrates River, there lived men 
who studied the stars and knew a great 
deal about them. In some way God had 
revealed to these wise 1 men that a King 
had been born who should save all people 
from sin, and that if they followed the new 
star, which they saw in the heavens, it 
would lead them to Him. And the star 
led them to the province of Judea, in Pal- 
estine. And they said surely a king would 
be born in a palace, and the king's palace 
would be at the capital; therefore they 
went to the beautiful city of Jerusalem 
and sought out the palace where King 
Herod lived, and they inquired of him, 
saying, "Where is He that is born King 
of the Jews? for we have seen His star in 
the east, and have come to worship Him." 

9 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

This question aroused jealous fears in 
Herod's heart. He was afraid he would 
lose his place as ruler. Immediately he 
sent for the scribes and inquired of them 
where it was foretold that Christ should 
be born. They replied, "In Bethlehem of 
Judea." Then Herod inquired of the wise 
men what time the star appeared, and with 
a hypocritical smile said, "Go to Beth- 
lehem and search for the Child, and when 
you have found Him return and let me 
know, that I may also go and worship Him." 

The wise men departed, and rejoiced 
when the star led them to the home in 
Bethlehem where the Savior King was, 
with Mary His mother. They fell down 
and worshiped Him, and they gave Him 
rich and beautiful gifts and costly spices 
such as loyal subjects present to their 
King; but God warned them in a dream 
not to return to Herod, and they quietly 
departed and went home into their own 
country another way. 

10 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

When Herod found that the wise men 
did not return, he was very angry. The 
jealousy in his heart grew until hate ruled 
him, and he sent soldiers to kill all the 
children in Bethlehem who were under two 
years old. He thought that in that way he 
would surely kill the promised Ruler. 

But God was watching over His own 
dear Son. He told Joseph in a dream to 
take Mary and Jesus and go into Egypt, 
and remain there while Ilerod lived. 

When Joseph awoke Mary and told 
her that they must flee, for the Child 
in danger, she asked no questions; but, 
elasping her baby to her heart, followed 
him out into the night, and they fled with 
the Child into Egypt. 

Jesus was safe, but all the children in 
Bethlehem under two years old were slain. 
And the poor, sorrowing mothers, how 
they mourned and wept for their dear 
little ones; and they could not be com- 
forted. 

11 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

When Joseph heard that Herod was 
dead, he brought his family back to Pales- 
tine; but when he knew that the wicked 
son of Herod reigned in Judea, he was 
afraid to take them to Bethlehem, and 
they went to Nazareth, in Galilee, the 
little village where they had lived and 
loved before their marriage; and that was 
the home of Jesus until He grew to be a 
man. 

He grew and played like other boys. 
He went to school in the village synagogue, 
where the Old Testament was taught by a 
scribe. We know that He was a good 
scholar, for He often quoted passages from 
the Scriptures when, in after life, He 
taught and preached. 

Every year His parents went to the 
Passover feast at Jerusalem, for no devout 
Jew ever missed going to that feast, if he 
could possibly help it. And when Jesus 
was twelve years old He went with them. 
A Jewish boy at that age was permitted to 

12 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

eat the Passover supper with his parents 
and friends. 

It was a journey of three or four days 
from Nazareth to Jerusalem, through a 
beautiful country, at the time of year when 
everything was in blossom. The beauty 
of the hills and fields and trees, the mass 
of people who came to the annual feast 
filled with religious enthusiasm, the beau- 
tiful city of Jerusalem which every Jewish 
heart loved, the splendor of the temple, 
the lambs which were killed and offered as 
a sacrifice — the Boy saw it all. He re- 
membered that night which the Passover 
feast commemorated, when the Lord slew 
the firstborn in every house among the 
Egyptians, and passed over the houses of 
the children of Israel and led them out 
from Egypt, the land of bondage. Every 
year, since He could remember, His mother 
had told Him the story at Passover time. 
Everything must have made a great im- 
pression on His mind. Do you wonder 

13 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

that when He found so much of interest 
He lingered behind when His parents, 
with their friends and neighbors, started 
for home? 

They traveled a whole day before they 
knew He was not in the company. This 
shows that they trusted Him. When they 
found He was not with them, they re- 
turned in alarm to Jerusalem, and sought 
Him sorrowing. 

Three days they searched, and then 
they found Him in the temple, with the 
teachers and learned men, talking with 
them and asking questions; and they all 
wondered at His understanding. 

His parents were surprised to find Him 
there, and when His mother reproved Him 
He looked into her eyes and said with 
quiet dignity, "Did ye not know that I 
must be about My Father's business?" 
His mother did not reply to this significant 
question; but she thought about it often 
when alone, and watched with loving care 

14 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

the development of her boy, who, we are 
told, "grew in wisdom and stature, and 
in favor with God and man." 

He returned with them to Nazareth, 
and lived eighteen years longer in His 
home there. Nothing has been told us 
about these years; but we know that 
Joseph was a wise man, who loved and 
obeyed God. We know that His mother 
was a pure, loving, saintly woman, and 
that Jesus grew up in her love. We know 
from His after life that He was a pure, 

high-minded boy and loved and honored 
His mother. We know that He learned 
the carpenter's trade and in thai way met 
many people and learned much about 
human nature; and we know that He went 
to Jerusalem every year to the Passover 
feast, where He must have learned how 
corrupt the prevailing religion was. 



15 



CHAPTER III 

When Jesus was about thirty years old 
there appeared one day, on the bank of the 
Jordan River, a strange preacher. He was 
dressed like the prophets of old, in a long 
garment woven from camel's hair, with a 
girdle of untanned leather. His name was 
John, and he was the son of a priest who 
lived in Hebron, in the province of Judea; 
but for years he had lived in the desert, 
eating wild honey and locusts, communing 
with his own heart, and with God, in 
preparation for the work which was before 
him. For he knew that the Prophet Isaiah 
had foretold, hundreds of years before he 
was born, that he should be sent to tell 
the people to prepare for the coming of 
the Savior King. 

It had been five hundred years since 
there had been a prophet among the 

16 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

Hebrews, and the people went from all 
the country around to hear him. He told 
them that the promised Savior was soon 
coming, that they must stop sinning, and 
be ready to meet Him and believe on Him. 

When any one said he was sorry for 
his sins, and wanted to live a better life, 
John baptized him in the River Jordan. 

Some of the people thought they were 
good enough and belonged to God's King- 
dom because they were Jews; but John 
told them that being Jews made no dif- 
ference. And when he told them what 
great sinners they were some went away 
in anger; among these were the Pharisees. 

One day when John the Baptist was 
preaching, Jesus came to hear him. He 
knew that it was time for Him to begin 
His work of winning men to His Kingdom. 

After others had been baptized, Jesus 

offered Himself for baptism, because He 

wished to set an example of all right doing. 

At first John was unwilling to baptize 
2 17 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

Him. There was something in the face of 
Jesus which made him feel unworthy to 
do so; but Jesus convinced him that it 
was right, and when He came out of the 
water the Spirit of God descended and 
rested upon Him, and a voice from heaven 
said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom 
I am well pleased." 

Then John knew that Jesus was the 
promised Savior, for God had told him 
that this should be the sign which He 
would give him. 

This Spirit, which had been given Jesus, 
led Him into the wilderness there to think 
over the new consecration and talk with 
His Father about it. 

Jesus knew that the people were look- 
ing for a king who would do great and 
wonderful things and lead a large army of 
soldiers against their enemies and rule 
over the whole world. 

We are told that Jesus was tempted, 
by the devil, to do those things which the 

18 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

Jews were expecting their Savior King to 
do. He knew that unless He did this that 
many would not believe on Him. Should 
He, in some measure, gratify their desire, 
and use the power which He, the Son of 
God, had to make Himself an earthly 
king? Then, when they were all His lo; 
subjects, He could tell them of the love of 
God which He came to reveal. Or, should 
He wait until, by the force of truth and 
the power of love, shown in His life and 
death, the Kingdom of God should be 
established in the hearts of the peopl 

The struggle was great, and He suf- 
fered intensely. We are told that He re- 
mained in the wilderness forty days and 
nights without food. His mind was so 
disturbed that He did not feel the need 
of food, and He forgot to eat. But when 
the struggle was ended, and He had chosen 
the way of the cross, the peace of God 
came to Him, and angels ministered unto 
Him. 

19 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

That trial strengthened Jesus for the 
great strain He would have to endure 
through the rest of His life here, and be- 
cause He was tempted in every way, as 
we are, He knows how to help and pity all 
who are tempted. 



20 



CHAPTER IV 

It was about six weeks after John bap- 
tized Jesus before he saw Him again. But 
he kept on preaching to the people, and his 
message was, "The Son of God has come." 

One day, as he stood talking with two 
of his scholars, he saw Jesus coming, and 
pointing to Him said, "Behold the Lamb 
of God, which taketh away the sin of the 
world. It is He, about whom I have been 
telling you." 

The two men, whose names were John 
and Andrew, followed Jesus. And when 
He saw that they followed Him, He 
stopped and spoke to them, and invited 
them to go home with Him, because He 
knew that they wanted to talk with Him. 
They gladly accepted the invitation, and 
remained with Him that day. We do not 
know what He taught them, but we know 

21 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

that they loved Him and became His dis- 
ciples. 

They believed what their first teacher 
had told them, that Jesus was the Savior 
King, and they wanted others to know 
and love Him, too. Therefore the two 
disciples hurried to tell the good news to 
their own brothers. John led his brother 
James to Jesus, and Andrew brought his 
brother Simon. Jesus saw just what kind 
of a man Simon, with the Spirit of God in 
his heart, would make, and He told him 
that he should be called Peter, which 
means a rock. 

The next day, as Jesus and His four 
disciples started to go into Galilee, they 
met Philip, and Jesus said to him, "Follow 
Me." Philip did not say, "Sometime I 
will follow you, but not now." He at once 
went with Jesus and His disciples. He 
knew Andrew and Peter, for he lived in 
the same city; and when he knew Jesus 
he went to his friend Nathanael and told 

22 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

him they had found the promised Savior 
King. At first Nathanael could not believe 
it, but when Philip urged him to come and 
see for himself, he went with him to Jesus. 

When Jesus spoke to Nathanael, and 
told him about things which he thought 
no one but himself knew, he exclaimed, 
"Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou 
art the King of Israel." 

A few days later Jesus and His dis- 
ciples were invited to a wedding in Cana, 
a small town of Galilee; and the mother of 
Jesus was there; and when she found that 
the wine had given out, she went to her 
Son and told her trouble to Him. She was 
a relative of the bride, and felt that it 
would be a disgrace to them all to have the 
wine fail before the entertainment was 
over. Jesus helped them out of their dif- 
ficulty by turning water into wine. This 
was His first miracle, and when His dis- 
ciples saw the manifestation of His power 
their faith was strengthened. 

23 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

The rumor of this miracle soon reached 
Jerusalem, and when Jesus went to the 
holy city, at Passover time, He attracted 
the attention of all classes, for it had been 
four hundred years since the Jews had 
seen a miracle. 

Jerusalem was called "the holy city" 
because the holy temple was there. It 
was the same temple where Jesus had 
talked with the learned doctors. It was 
very beautiful and cost a great amount of 
money, and it had been solemnly conse- 
crated to the Lord. Here, twice a day, by 
the sacrifice of animals, was shown the 
coming of the "Lamb of God to be a 
sacrifice for the sins of the world." 

When Jesus went into the temple and 
saw there those who sold oxen and sheep 
and doves for sacrifice, and the tables for 
money changers (the money in common 
use was Roman and had to be exchanged 
for Jewish coin before it could be accepted 
for temple fees and dues to the priests), He 

24 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

was very indignant, and picking up from 
the floor pieces of cord He twisted them 
into a whip and drove out the animals 
and the traders, who were selling them; 
and He overturned the money tables and 
said, "Take these things hence; make not 
My Father's house a house of merchan- 
dise." During this feast Jesus wrought 
miracles and taught the people who were 
in the city from every land. 

One night a Pharisee named Nicodemus 
came to Jesus and wanted to know how 
he could enter the new Kingdom which 
Jesus had been telling them about. He 
was a rich man and a teacher of the law. 
He was also very strict about all outward 
forms of religion. He went to Church, 
and said long prayers, and people thought 
him very good. Perhaps he thought so, 
too, until he saw Jesus and heard His 
teaching. 

Jesus told him that the Kingdom which 
He had come to found was a spiritual 

25 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

Kingdom, and that he must be born again 
to enter it. 

When Nicodemus replied that he could 
not understand what He meant by this, 
Jesus told him that the new life which he 
must have was a gift from God, and that 
we can not see it any more than we can 
see the wind. 

We can see what the wind does when 
it blows the tree tops, and we can see that 
the new life, which is born of the Spirit, 
has come by what it does. For it is a life 
of love. One who has it will love God and 
love everybody. Then Jesus said: "As 
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilder- 
ness, even so must the Son of man be lifted 
up, that whosoever believeth in Him should 
not perish, but have eternal life. For God 
so loved the world that He gave His only 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in 
Him should not perish, but have everlast- 
ing life." 



26 



CHAPTER V 

Many of the people in Judea only looked 
with curiosity on Jesus as He wrought 
miracles and taught. They would not be- 
lieve on Him as the Christ, the Savior of 
the world. And when Jesus heard that 
Herod had put in prison John the Baptist 
because he had told him the truth about 
his sins, He left Judea and, with His dis- 
ciples, went into Galilee. They went 
through Samaria, and when they came 
near to a place called Sychar, while His 
disciples went into the city to buy food, 
Jesus sat down by the well which Jacob 
had digged hundreds of years before. 

He was warm and thirsty and tired, 
and when a woman of Samaria came to 
draw water from the well, which was very 
deep, He said, "Give Me to drink." 

The woman saw by His dress that He 
27 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

was a Jewish teacher, and she was surprised 
because He spoke to her, for the Jews and 
the people of Samaria had quarreled and 
had no dealings with one another; but this 
made no difference with Jesus. He saw 
that, like Nicodemus, she was hungry for 
goodness, and He showed her that He 
knew all about her wicked life; then He 
began to teach her about the new life 
which God gives; and He told her that He 
was the Christ, the Son of God, who had 
come from His home in heaven to live in 
this world that every one who would might 
believe on Him and have the new life in 
earth and heaven. 

The woman was so glad when she 
heard this that she left her water jar and 
ran back to the city to tell her friends and 
neighbors that she had found the Christ, 
and asked them to come and see Him; and 
they urged Him to stay with them, and 
He remained there two days and taught 
the Samaritans, and many believed on Him. 

28 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

When they came to the city of Cana, 
where Jesus had helped at a wedding 
feast, an officer of King Herod's court, 
called a nobleman, begged Him to hurry 
to his home in Capernaum, twenty miles 
away, and heal his son, who was very sick. 
This man had heard about Jesus and the 
wonderful things He bad done in Judea, 
and he believed that Jesus could cure his 
child if only He could get there before he 
died. 

Jesus wanted to teach the lesson that 
He could help without our seeing Him with 
our eyes, or feeling the touch of His hands, 
and He said to the man, "Go, thy son 
liveth." The man believed what Jesus 
said, and started for home. Before he had 
gone the whole twenty miles he met mes- 
sengers who came to tell him that his son 
lived. He asked what time the fever had 
left him, and when they told him he knew 
that it was the very hour that Jesus had 
said, "Go home, for thy son liveth." 

29 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

When he had told the story to the rest of 
the family they all believed that Jesus 
was the Son of God. 

One of the first places Jesus visited in 
Galilee was Nazareth, where He had lived 
and grown to manhood; and on the Sab- 
bath day He went into the synagogue, 
the place where He had worshiped ever 
since He could remember. And when they 
invited Him to do so, He read the Scrip- 
tures, selecting the passage in Isaiah which 
gives a glowing description of the coming 
and work of the Christ. He closed the 
Book and, looking into their familiar faces, 
longed to tell them that the Christ had 
come, and that He was the promised Savior; 
but when He attempted to do so, they were 
angry and would not believe it. They 
said, with scorn, "Is not this the carpenter 
who used to live here with us?" And they 
drove Him out of the synagogue and out 
of the city. 

From this time He made His home in 
30 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

Capernaum, on the shore of the Sea of 
Galilee. It was a busy, thrifty, central 
town, and from here He went out into the 
other towns and villages, preaching and 
teaching the people. He carried comfort 
and joy everywhere. Day after day He 
healed the sick of all classes and cured all 
kinds of diseases; even the lepers, whom 
all people shunned, were healed by the 
touch of His hand. Crowds of people fol- 
lowed Him from city to city and brought 
their sick friends to Him to be healed; and 
they heard about Him through all the land. 
The chief priests and rulers of the Jews 
thought Jesus was becoming too popular 
among the people, therefore they sent a 
committee to Capernaum to watch Him. 
Jesus was in Peter's house. He was 
preaching, and, as usual, a great multitude 
gathered to hear Him. The courtyard and 
street were crowded with people, and so 
eager were they to hear that they would 
not move to make way for four men who 

31 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

were bringing a helpless friend on a mat- 
bed to Jesus. But these men believed that 
Jesus could cure their sick companion, and 
were determined in some way to reach 
Him. Carefully they carried their burden 
up the stairs outside the house to the flat 
roof, then they removed the tiling of the 
roof over the courtyard, and let the man, 
on his mat-bed, down at the feet of Jesus. 
When He saw their faith, and that the man 
was very sorry for all the wrong things he 
had done, He said, "Son, be of good cheer; 
thy sins are forgiven." The committee of 
learned men from Jerusalem said within 
their hearts, "He speaketh blasphemies; 
no one but God can forgive sins." 

Jesus read their thoughts, just as He 
had read the thoughts of the sick man, and 
He knew that the people could not see that 
the man's sins were forgiven; and to prove 
that He had the power to forgive sins, He 
turned to the helpless man and said, 
"Arise, take up thy bed, and go home;" 

32 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

and the man immediately obeyed Him, and 
went home praising God. 

The people were surprised. They were 
ready to believe whal they eould see, and 
were filled with awe. They glorified God. 
But the learned men from Jerusalem were 
so wicked that they would not believe that 
His power came from God; and while they 
continued to watch Ilim, they complained 
because He and His disciples did not keep 
their fasts and other outward forms of 
religion. They also found fault with the 
company He kepi, saying, "He is a friend 
of publicans and sinn< They were 

angry because He invited Matthew, a tax- 
gatherer, to be His disciple, and they 
could not see that they were even greater 
sinners than the tax-gatherers, whom they 
despised and hated. 



33 



CHAPTER VI 

After these things Jesus went again to 
Jerusalem and taught in the temple; and 
on the Sabbath day He walked out to the 
pool of Bethesda. This pool was a spring 
of water which at times bubbled up from 
the bottom. The people believed that an 
angel caused this, and that the first person 
who stepped in after the moving of the 
water would be restored to health. Around 
this pool five porches had been built, where 
sick folks could be sheltered from the sun 
while they waited for the water to move. 
On this Sabbath day many people were 
lying in these porches waiting to be healed. 
They were crippled in various ways, and 
some of them were blind. When Jesus 
saw how wretched they were, His heart was 
filled with pity. One man had been help- 
less thirty-eight years, and he had no friends 

34 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

to assist him. As he lay there waiting for 
the chance, which he thought would never 
come, Jesus stopped beside him and said, 
"Wilt thou be made whole?" 

The man looked up into the pure face 
of Jesus, and a gleam of hope came into 
his dull eyes as he answered, "I have no 
one when the water is troubled to put me 
into the pool." Perhaps he thought Jesus 
would do this act of mercy for him, but 
Jesus said, "Rise, take up thy bed, and 
walk." 

The man did not say, "I can't, for I 
have been helpless a long time." He im- 
mediately stood up, then picked up his 
bed, which was like a rug or blanket, and 
walked away. 

When the Jews told him it was not 
right for him to carry his bed on the Sab- 
bath day, he answered them boldly, saying, 
"He who had the power to cure me told me 
to take up my bed and carry it away." 
When they asked, "Who is the man that 

35 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

told you to break the Sabbath?" he could 
not tell them, for Jesus had disappeared 
among the crowd; but he knew that it 
must have been the power of God which 
had healed him; therefore he went into the 
temple to worship and praise Him. Jesus 
found him there and told him to sin no 
more, lest he be sick again. 

When the man found out that it was 
Jesus who had cured him, he went and 
told the Jews. Therefore the Jews per- 
secuted Jesus, because He had broken 
their Sabbath law. But Jesus said, "My 
Father loves and takes care of you every 
day, and He has sent Me into the world 
to love and help everybody. I came to 
reveal My Father's love." 

Then the Jews sought to kill Him, be- 
cause He said that God was His Father. 

Jesus tried to convince them that He 
was the Son of God, because He wanted 
them to believe on Him and be saved; but 
they would not, and He returned to Gal- 

36 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

ilee, where He received a warm welcome, 
and busied Himself again with His work. 
He was more popular than ever. People 
came from all the neighboring provinces 
to see Him and hear Him preach. They 
brought their friends who were sick to 
Him, and He healed them, and He was so 
busy that He had scarcely time to eat or 
sleep. 

He cast out demons, He forgave sins, 
and He preached wonderful sermons, and 
the people were asking one another, "Can 
He indeed be the promised Savior King? 
If so, what is He going to do?" 

One night, not long after His return 
to Capernaum, He went up into a moun- 
tain, and we are told that He spent the 
whole night in prayer, for Jesus was never 
too tired to pray. 

In the morning He found that a great 
multitude of people had climbed part way 
up the mountain to a level space to meet 
Him. Out of this company Jesus selected 

37 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

twelve men, from those who had been 
His scholars, to help Him in His work. 
The names of these men were Peter and 
Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bar- 
tholomew, Matthew and Thomas; James, 
the son of Alpheus, and Simon; and Judas, 
the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot. 
They all belonged to the common people; 
four of them were fishermen. Peter and 
his brother Andrew were fishing on the 
Sea of Galilee, and John and James were 
in a boat with their father, mending their 
nets, when Jesus said to them, "Follow 
Me, and I will make you to become fishers 
of men." And they left their nets and 
followed Him. These twelve apostles be- 
came great men, and founded the Chris- 
tian Church. 

While they walked and talked with 
Jesus, and listened to His teaching, they 
loved Him and tried to become like Him 
in character, and the silent influence of His 
character on theirs stamped His own image 

38 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

upon them. He told these twelve men, 
whom we call apostles, that they were to 
go out and preach the gospel of His King- 
dom, as He had been doing. Then, in the 
presence of this great company, He told 
them what kind of people should live in 
His Kingdom and what their character 
should be. It was a wonderful sermon. 
We call it the "Sermon on the Mount." 
He said it was those who were truly good 
and humble, not those who thought they 
were good, who should live in His King- 
dom; the meek, and those who pity, help, 
and forgive the wrongdoer; I he pure in 
heart, and those who love peace and try 
to make peace. 

The Jews thought if they kept the law 
W T hich God had given to Moses they would 
be perfectly good; and the Pharisees, who 
were there that day, were very careful to 
keep the commandments outwardly. They 
said long prayers and fasted, and gave to 
the poor. Jesus told them that outside 

39 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

goodness was not enough, that they should 
not give, or pray, or do anything to have 
men see and know it, but to please God. 
And He showed them how they often broke 
the commandments in their hearts, and 
that the only way in which they could 
truly keep them was by love. He said if 
their hearts were full of love to God and 
man, that they would not willfully sin 
against either. The Jews had said, "Love 
him who loves you;" but Jesus said if they 
wanted to be in His Kingdom they must 
love everybody, even their enemies, and 
do them good and pray for them. He said 
we must not judge others, because we 
could not read the thoughts of their hearts 
or know their motives; and that we should 
do unto others as we would like to have 
them do unto us. He also taught in this 
sermon that we should not worry about 
things, but should love God and trust Him, 
and He would give us all things which we 
need. And He taught how to pray: we 

40 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

call it the "Lord's Prayer" because Jesus 
taught it. That prayer teaches us to call 
God "Our Father," and that prayer is 
talking to God. It also teaches us that 
God should come first in our thoughts 
and prayers, and that we should ask Him 
for those things which we need and should 
give to Him all praise and glory. 

Many people listened to that sermon 
on the mount, and in closing Jesus said 
that it was not enough to hear, but that 
they must do as He had [old them, if they 
would be in His Kingdom. 

Soon after this Jesus and His disciples 
went into the city of Xain, and many 
people were following along with them. 
When they came near to the city they 
heard the low murmur of a dirge which 
hired mourners were chanting, and soon a 
funeral procession came out through the 
city gate. The chief mourner was a woman ; 
she was weeping bitterly, her face full of 
despair. For years she had been a widow, 

41 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

and now she was following her only son 
to the grave. When Jesus saw her His 
heart was filled with pity, and He said, 
in tones of sympathy, "Do not weep." He 
touched the bier, and they that bore it 
stood still. Silently He looked at the face 
of the young man. Then for a moment 
He looked with divine pity at the heart- 
broken mother, while the many people 
waited in silence to see what He would do. 
Again His eyes rested on the face of the 
dead, and in a tone of authority He said, 
"Young man, arise!" And He that was 
dead arose and asked for his mother. When 
Jesus led him to her, how the mother heart 
must have loved and adored Him! The 
people praised God. They were filled with 
awe, and the news of this miracle soon 
spread throughout the land. 

When John's disciples heard of it, they 
went and told him, for Herod permitted 
the friends of John to visit him in prison; 
he dared not do otherwise, perhaps. 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

John, in his gloomy dungeon down by 
the Dead Sea, was glad to hear of the 
wonderful things which they told him they 
had heard that Jesus was doing. Perhaps 
he wondered why Jesus did not help him 
out of prison, if He was truly the Christ 
and had such power; and he asked two of 
his disciples to go and see Jesus and ask 
Him if He was the promised Savior King, 
or if another was coming. 

When the tw r o disciples had come the 
long distance to where Jesus was they 
found Him teaching and healing the sick. 
As usual a crowd had gathered around Him, 
but through this crowd they pushed their 
way near to where He stood and said, 
"John the Baptist sent us to ask, 'Art 
Thou the promised Savior King?" Jesus 
kept on with His work, healing the sick; but 
later He said to them, "Go and tell John 
what things you have seen and heard; 
how that the blind see, the lame walk, the 
lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

dead are raised, and the gospel is preached 
to the poor." 

When John's disciples returned and 
gave him this message he knew that Jesus 
was the Son of God, for those were the 
very things which the prophets had written 
in the Old Testament that the Christ would 
do. 



44 



CHAPTER VII 

When Jesus saw that the twelve apostles 
were prepared for the work, He sent them 
out, by two and two, to preach; and He 
gave them power to heal the sick, so that 
they could help the people as He did. 
They wen! out through many towns which 
Jesus had not time io visit, and told the 
people that the Savior had come, and that 
they must be sorry for all the evil things 
they had done if they wanted to live in His 
Kingdom; and everywhere they healed the 
sick. In this way many persons were 
cured who could never have met Jesus. 
Meanwhile Jesus kept on with His 
work in Galilee. His love to men gave Him 
intense sympathy with every form of pain 
and misery. He healed the sick; He cast 
out devils; He forgave sins; He comforted 
those who were in trouble; He taught 

45 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

them by telling stories called parables. 
And in this way He made known to them 
His great truths. 

When His disciples returned, eager to 
talk with Jesus about what they had done, 
they found Him so busy healing and teach- 
ing the people who crowded around Him 
that He hardly had time to eat. 

About this time the disciples of John 
the Baptist came to Jesus and told Him 
that Herod had beheaded their beloved 
teacher. Jesus knew it was better for 
John to live in heaven, but He was very 
sorry for those who loved him, and one 
morning He said to His disciples, "Let us 
go away and rest awhile." So they went 
in a fishing boat across the Sea of Galilee 
to the grassy plain of Bethsaida Julius. 

When the people saw the boat sailing 
away and knew that Jesus had departed 
in it, they started to w^alk around the 
head of the lake to meet Him. Many 
more people joined them as they passed 

46 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

through the towns until they numbered 
five thousand men, besides women and 
children. Some of them were on their way 
to the Passover feast, but they wanted to 
see Jesus and followed the crowd; they 
walked so fast that they got there before 
the boat did. 

When Jesus saw the multitude who 
were waiting for Him He was not angry 
because the opportunity for rest and qi 
had been disturbed; His heart was fi] 
with pity, and all day lb 4 went around 
among them healing the sick and teaching 
them about the love of God and His King- 
dom. 

The people looked, and listened, and 
loved Him. They forgot that they were a 
long way from home and had no food. 
Jesus did not forget. As the sun went 
down, He turned to His disciples and said, 
"Where shall we buy bread for so many 
to eat?" He asked them this question to 
test their faith; for He knew what He 

47 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

would do. "Two hundred pennyworth of 
bread is not enough to feed them," replied 
Philip; and he knew that it would take a 
man a year to earn this sum. Perhaps 
Andrew remembered the miracles of Jesus, 
for he said, "There is a boy here who has 
five barley loaves and two small fishes, but 
what are they among so many?" 

Jesus said, "Bring them to Me." He 
had no home where He could entertain His 
friends, but this beautiful plain, with its 
carpet of green grass, was His. He had 
taught and helped them through the day, 
and now He wanted to feed them. Per- 
haps He knew that some of them were too 
poor to buy themselves bread, for five mil- 
lion Jews were compelled to pay the heavy 
tax of three million dollars a year. 

Jesus told His disciples to make every 
one sit down; so they brought the people 
together and seated them in rows, for they 
had seen Jesus do many wonderful things 
and had learned to do as He commanded 

48 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

without asking questions. And when all 
were seated on the grass, Jesus took the 
five loaves and the two fishes, and, looking 
up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke 
them in pieces, and gave them to His dis- 
ciples; and the disciples gave them to the 
multitude. 

When they had all eaten so much that 
they wanted no more, Jesus told His dis- 
ciples to gather up the pieces, that nothing 
be wasted. It was the custom among the 
Jews to always carry a sort of basket or 
wallet with them. Into some of these the 
pieces were now gathered, and there were 
twelve basketfuls left. 

This last miracle of the afternoon seemed 
to open the eyes of the people, for this 
was what they expected the promised 
Christ to do — feed them without their 
working; and they said, "He must be 
the Christ, the promised King to free us 
from Rome and make us a nation and 
rule the world. Let us carry Him up to 
4 49 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

Jerusalem and proclaim Him king at the 
Passover." 

When Jesus saw that they wanted to 
take Him by force and make Him a king, 
He told His disciples to get into the boat 
and go back to Capernaum. They were 
surprised and disappointed at His com- 
mand, for they had hoped to enjoy a quiet 
talk with Him after the multitude had 
gone away. And they also thought the 
time had come for Him to be proclaimed 
king; but they obeyed Him, and soon were 
sailing toward Capernaum. 

Jesus was grieved that the people, and 
also the twelve apostles, who had been so 
much with Him, could not understand 
Him; and when He had sent the multitude 
away He went up into a mountain, and 
there, in the darkness and silence of the 
night, He talked with His Father. 

When the disciples were about halfway 
across the lake a storm arose; the waves 
dashed over the boat, and they were afraid. 

50 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

The wind blew in the opposite direction 
from where they wanted to go, so they 
took down the sails; and while they strug- 
gled with the rowing they saw Jesus coming 
to them, walking on the water, for, though 
it was dark, He knew that they were in 
trouble and went to them. He could 
have spoken to the wind and waves, or 
by uplifted hand have stilled them; but 
He thought it would strengthen the faith 
of His friends if He walked to them on the 
water. 

When they saw Him they were afraid, 
and said, "It is a spirit." But the well- 
known voice of Jesus rang out across the 
waves, saying, "It is I; be not afraid." 
Peter cried, "Lord, if it be Thou, bid me 
come to Thee on the water." Jesus an- 
swered, "Come!" and Peter sprang out of 
the boat and walked upon the water 
toward Jesus. But when he looked at the 
big waves which the wind tossed high he 
was afraid, and began to sink. Then he 

51 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

cried out, just as every one does when 
afraid, "Lord, save me." Instantly Jesus 
held out His hand and caught hold of 
Peter and led him to the boat, saying, 
"Why didst thou doubt?" And when 
they both had got into the boat the wind 
stopped blowing and the waves tossed no 
more. And the disciples fell at His feet 
and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly Thou 
art the Son of God." Then, without any 
more trouble, the boat came safely to land. 
On the Sabbath day the little syna- 
gogue at Capernaum was crowded; every 
one had been talking about the wonderful 
miracle which Jesus had done, and all came 
to hear what He would say and to see 
what He would do. Jesus knew that they 
did not seek Him because they loved 
Him, or believed on Him as their Savior, 
but because they thought it would be de- 
sirable to have a king who would feed 
them. He told them, however, not to 
be so anxious for the things which would 

52 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

not last, but to seek those things which 
would feed the soul; that they needed 
food to give strength to the soul as much 
as they needed food to give strength to 
the body. And He told them that He was 
the bread of life, the living bread which 
came down from heaven, and that who- 
ever believed on Him should have ever- 
lasting life. 

The people could not understand Him, 
and from that time many of them left 
Him. If He could not be their earthly 
king and feed them as they expected, they 
would have nothing more to do with Him. 
This desertion of His followers must have 
hurt the heart of Jesus and discouraged 
Him, for one day He turned to the twelve 
apostles, who still clung to Him, and 
said, "Surely ye also do not wish to go 
away?" Peter answered for them all: 
"Master, there is no one else to whom we 
can go, for we know that Thou art the 
Christ, the Son of God." 

53 



CHAPTER VIII 

Jesus knew that Herod feared and hated 
Him; He also knew that the Pharisees 
suspected and watched Him. He wanted 
to be alone with His disciples, and He went 
with them to Tyre and Sidon, and other 
distant towns, which they had not previ- 
ously visited. He preached to the people 
and healed the sick; but He gave more time 
to the teaching of His disciples than for- 
merly. He told them about His sufferings, 
and about His death, for He knew that it 
was near at hand, and He wanted to pre- 
pare them for it; but they could not under- 
stand Him. They would not believe that 
He was to die. They thought He must be 
telling them one of the parable stories, 
which were sometimes so hard to under- 
stand, and that He would overcome all 

54 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

opposition and take His place as king and 
rule the world. 

During this last year Jesus also spent 
more time alone with His Father, in com- 
munion with Him, One night, when they 
were at the foot of Mt. Lebanon, He asked 
Peter, James, and John to go with Him 
up into this mountain to pray. While He 
prayed the disciples fell asleep, for they 
were tired. And when they awoke they 
saw Him, as it were, in a frame of glory. 
His face shone, while angels talked with 
Him; for His Father had sent Moses and 
Elias to talk with Him about His death 
and to strengthen Him for the great suffer- 
ing which He must endure. His disciples 
were afraid and fell on their faces; but 
when His visitors had gone Jesus came to 
them and said, "Arise, and be not afraid." 
And when they looked up they saw no man, 
"save Jesus only." And He told them 
to say nothing about what they had seen 
until after His resurrection. 

55 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

Soon after this Jesus and His disciples 
left Galilee and went south toward Jerusa- 
lem through that part of the land which 
He had not visited. 

In this new field the multitudes followed 
Him, as they had in Galilee during the 
year of His popularity. He healed the 
sick; He forgave sins; He preached and 
taught and loved; He thought of others 
and not of Himself. He went to Jerusalem 
at the feast of tabernacles and taught in 
the temple, and many believed on Him. 
The Jews were surprised at His knowl- 
edge, and the Pharisees and chief priests 
sent officers to take Him. 

Perhaps Jesus saw these men waiting 
for a good opportunity to arrest Him, for 
He said, "I must remain on earth a little 
while longer; then ye will kill Me and I 
shall go to My Father, and thither ye can 
not come, for ye know Him not." 

The officers listened to His teaching 
and were awed by the majesty of His 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

countenance and by His words. They did 
not venture to arrest Him, but returned 
to the chief priest and Pharisees, who 
asked, "Why did ye not bring Him?" 
The officers answered, "Never man spake 
like this Man." 

One day, as Jesus came out of the 
temple, He saw a blind man sitting by the 
gate. The crippled and the blind were 
not permitted to go into the temple, but 
they could sit by the gate and beg from 
those going in and coming out. Many a 
time had this man sat there and waited 
for people to help him. He had never seen 
the blue sky, the beautiful flowers, or the 
majestic temple which was so near him, 
and he had never seen the face of his father 
and mother. 

Sometimes people become blind through 
sickness, then they have memory pictures 
to look at; but this man had been born 
blind. 

Jesus knew that the Pharisees would 
57 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

find fault" if He healed this man on the 
Sabbath day; but He was indifferent to 
Jewish prejudices and went straight on 
with the everyday duties of life. He said, 
"I must do the work which I was sent 
into the world to do." "I am the light of 
the world." Then He spat on the ground 
and made clay of the spittle and spread it 
upon the eyes of the blind man, and said 
to him, "Go, wash off the clay in the pool 
of Siloam." The man obeyed Jesus, and 
he received his sight. 

The opening of the man's eyes so 
changed his look and manner that the 
neighbors and they who had seen him 
sitting, as a blind beggar, said, "Is this 
he that sat and begged?" Some said, "It 
is he;" others said, "No, but he is like 
him." The man heard them talking about 
it, and said, "I am he." When they asked 
how he had received his sight, he said, 
"The man that is called Jesus made clay 
and anointed my eyes and told me to go 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

and wash in the pool. I obeyed, and re- 
ceived my sight." And when they asked 
where Jesus was, he said, "I do not know." 

Perhaps these friends and neighbors did 
not intend to make mischief, but really 
thought the authorities ought to know 
that this healing work had been done on 
the Sabbath; so they brought the blind 
man to the Pharisees, and they also asked 
him how he had received his sight; and 
when he told them, they said, "This power 
could not come from God, because Jesus 
does not keep the Sabbath; it must be from 
the devil." 

Some of the Jews did not believe that 
the man had been blind until they called 
his parents and asked them, saying, "Is 
this your son? Was he born blind? How 
does he now see?" They answered, "We 
know that this is our son, and that he was 
born blind: but we do not know who 
opened his eyes. Ask him." 

Therefore a second time they ques- 
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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

tioned him who had been born blind and 
tried to make him think that Jesus was a 
sinner. But he said, "I know that I was 
blind and now I see. This man could 
not have opened mine eyes unless he were 
from God." 

And they were angry, and said with 
scorn, "Dost thou teach us?" And they 
cast him out of doors. 

When Jesus heard that they had cast 
him out, He went to him and said, "Dost 
thou believe on the Son of God?" And he 
answered, "Who is He, sir, that I may 
believe on Him?" Then Jesus told him 
plainly that He was the Son of God. And 
the man believed that Jesus was the prom- 
ised Savior, and he worshiped Him. 

How happy and thankful he must have 
been that he could look upon the face of 
Him who had given sight to his eyes, and 
also taught him to see that he needed a 
Savior. 

The more clearly Jesus made known 
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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

to the Jews that He was the Christ the 
more they hated Him and determined to 
kill Him. The people were drawn to Him 
by His teaching and miracles, but His 
continual refusal to become such a king 
as they expected the promised Christ to 
be drove them from Him. One day they 
gathered around Him and asked, "Art 
Thou the Christ? Tell us plainly." Some 
of them were almost ready to believe on 
Him, and thought a plain answer would 
help them; others hoped He would say 
something for which they could arrest 
Him. Jesus answered, "I have told you, 
and ye believe not. The works that I do 
in My Father's name bear witness of Me. 
I and My Father are one." Then the 
Jews tried to stone Him, but He escaped 
and went to Bethabara, in Perea, the 
place where John at first baptized; and 
many people believed on Him there. 



61 



CHAPTER IX 

Jesus had many friends who still believed 
in Him and loved Him; among these were 
two sisters, Martha and Mary, and their 
brother Lazarus. They lived together in 
a happy home in the village of Bethany, 
on the southeast slope of the Mount of 
Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem. 
Jesus often visited in this home, where for 
a short time He found rest and quiet; and 
they loved to sit and listen while He 
taught them of heavenly things. 

Sometimes Martha was so busy with 
household cares that she could not stop 
to hear the truths of God. She was afraid 
their guest would not have every comfort 
which love and money could give; but 
Mary, forgetful of all else, sat at His feet 
and listened to every word that fell from 
His lips. 

m 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

Jesus and His disciples were in Perea 
when He received a message from this 
home. It only said, "Lord, he whom 
Thou lovest is sick;" but it implied that 
the sisters believed Jesus would come to 
them and heal their brother, or heal him 
as He did the nobleman's son by speaking 
the word from Perea. 

How disappointed they must have been 
when hour after hour and day after day 
passed and He came not, and their brother 
died and was laid in the tomb. Perhaps 
in the bitterness of their grief they blamed 
Jesus. They knew that He had restored 
to health many who were sick. Then why, 
if He loved Lazarus, did He not heal him? 

Jesus remained two days where He was, 
then He said to His disciples, "Let us go 
into Judea again." But the disciples were 
full of anxiety for the safety of Jesus and 
begged Him to remain in Perea. They 
reminded Him that when last in Judea 
the Jews had tried to kill Him. But Jesus 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

said, "My work is not yet done. Our 
friend Lazarus sleepeth; I go that I may 
awake him out of sleep." His disciples, 
still hoping to escape the dreaded journey, 
said, "If he sleep he will get well." Then 
Jesus told them plainly: "Lazarus is dead; 
and I am glad for your sakes that I was 
not there, for you will see the power and 
glory of God, and will believe. Let us go 
unto him." 

Jesus knew that His disciples had need 
of all the help and strength which He 
could give them, for His death, which was 
near at hand, would greatly try their faith. 

When some one, who had perhaps been 
looking for Jesus, told Martha that He 
was coming, she went to meet Him. Her 
lips trembled, and tears rolled down her 
pale cheeks as she said, "Lord, if Thou 
hadst been here my brother had not died." 

Jesus said, "Your brother shall rise 
again." "Yes," replied Martha, "I know 
that he shall rise in the resurrection, at 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

the last day." Jesus said, "I am the resur- 
rection and the life. He that believeth in 
Me, though he were dead, yet shall he 
live: and whosoever liveth and believeth 
in Me shall never die. Belie vest thou this? " 
"Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the 
Christ, the Son of God which should come 
into the world." Then said Jesus, "Go 
and call thy sister." And Martha, with 
new-born hope, hastened back to the house 
and said softly to her sister, "The Master 
has come and calleth for you." As soon 
as Mary heard the good news she arose 
quickly and went to Jesus; and when she 
saw Him she fell at His feet and sobbed 
out, "Lord, if Thou hadst been here my 
brother had not died." This thought had 
been often in the minds of the two sisters 
during the last four days, therefore their 
first words to Jesus were expressive of 
regret. 

The Jews, who had come from Jerusa- 
lem to comfort the sisters, followed Mary, 
5 65 



FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

for they thought she was going to the 
grave to weep; and when they saw her 
weeping bitterly they also wept. 

Jesus was troubled when He saw the 
hypocritical sorrow of His Jewish enemies 
mingling with the heartfelt sorrow of His 
loving friends, and He said, "Where have 
you laid him?" They answered, "Lord, 
come and see." Slowly they walked to 
the grave of him whom they loved, and 
tears of sympathy came into the eyes of 
Jesus and rolled down His face, pale with 
emotion. Then said the Jews, "Behold, He 
weeps. He did love him;" and some of 
them said, "Why, then, did He not heal 
him?" 

When they came to the closed tomb, 
Jesus said to those who stood by, "Take 
away the stone." "Lord," said Martha, 
"He has been dead four days, and no one 
ought to see him." "Daughter, believe, 
and thou shalt see the power of God," 
replied Jesus. And when they had taken 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

away the stone Jesus lifted His eyes up- 
wards, and a look of divine majesty over- 
spread His countenance as He prayed, 
saying, "Father, I thank Thee, that Thou 
hast heard Me; and I know that Thou 
hearest Me always; but because of the 
people which stand by do I offer unto 
Thee this prayer, that they may believe 
that Thou hast sent Me." Then Jesus, 
stretching forth His hand towards the 
tomb, cried, with a loud voice, "Lazarus, 
come forth!" And Lazarus heard the 
voice of Jesus, and came forth from the 
tomb to live again on the earth. 

Therefore many of the Jews believed 
on Jesus when they saw this miracle, and 
they praised God. But some of them went 
to Jerusalem and told the wonderful story 
of the young man who had been dead 
four days and who was then raised to life. 
It caused great excitement. The Jewish 
leaders were more frightened than ever. 
They were afraid that all the people would 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

believe on Him and that they should lose 
their place of power. The chief priests and 
Pharisees met in council and talked the 
matter over, and decided to put Him to 
death. 

But the time had not yet come for 
Jesus to die, and He went with His dis- 
ciples to the village of Ephraim, on the 
mountains overlooking the Jordan valley, 
and remained there in seclusion several 
weeks, teaching the twelve apostles. He 
then descended the mountains and, cross- 
ing the Jordan valley, entered again the 
province of Perea, where He taught the 
people and healed them; and mothers 
brought their little children to Him that 
they might receive His blessing. And 
when His disciples rebuked them, Jesus 
said, "Suffer the little children to come 
unto Me; forbid them not: for to such be- 
longeth the Kingdom of God. Verily I 
say unto you, whosoever shall not receive 
the Kingdom of God as a little child, he 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

shall in no wise enter therein." And He 
took them up in His arms and blessed 
them. 

From Perea Jesus went through Jericho 
to Bethany. He was on His last journey 
to Jerusalem, and knew that death awaited 
Him there. On Friday, six days before 
the Passover, He arrived once more at the 
home of His friends in the village, which 
was still in a state of excitement over the 
resurrection of Lazarus. 

The Jewish Sabbath commenced at sun- 
set on Friday and ended at sunset on Satur- 
day. During this time Jesus probably re- 
mained in the home where He was greatly 
loved with His friend Lazarus. 

Saturday evening a friend of Lazarus, 
Simon by name, invited them all to a sup- 
per. This man once had the leprosy, and 
Jesus must have cured him, for no one 
else could cure that kind of sickness. I 
think Simon must have felt very grateful 
and wanted to do something to show his 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

love for Jesus, who had done so much for 
Him. He also invited the disciples, and 
perhaps others who wanted to know Jesus. 
Martha, we are told, helped to wait 
on the table. Perhaps she thought the 
only way she could show her love was in 
service; and I think she put her whole 
heart into that service. Mary wanted to 
show Jesus how much she loved Him and 
how grateful she was to Him for bringing 
her brother back to life. She could not 
find words to tell Him, but she thought of 
a beautiful slender-necked vase which she 
had. This vase was filled with a very 
precious fragrant ointment, made from a 
plant which grew in India, called spike- 
nard. It cost a great deal of money; but 
Mary was glad to give the best she had to 
Jesus, and she poured all of it over His 
feet, and wiped them with her hair. The 
sweet fragrance filled the house, and some 
of the guests grumbled because they thought 
the ointment had been wasted; and Judas 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

asked why it had not been sold and the 
money given to poor people. He said 
this, not that he cared for the poor, but 
because he loved money, and was a thief, 
and carried the money purse of the little 
company. 

Rut Jesus praised Mary; He was pleased 
because she gave the best she had to show 
her love for Him. And He reproved those 
who found fault with her. 

The next morning, when Jesus came 
forth to go to Jerusalem, the streets were 
crowded with people. Some of them had 
come with Him on Friday; others, having 
heard that Jesus was in Bethany, went 
out from Jerusalem to meet Him. For 
many people had come to the great annual 
feast in the hope that He might be there, 
and the news of His arrival in Bethany 
spread like wild-fire. They were also 
anxious to see Lazarus, whom He had 
raised from the dead. 

Therefore when Jesus came forth to go 
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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

to the city they began to shout, "Hosanna 
to the son of David ! Blessed is He that 
cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna 
in the highest!" Jesus did not reprove 
them; but rode silently and humbly on a 
young ass into Jerusalem as the King of 
peace. 

As they advanced, people from every 
direction hurried to join the crowd. The 
shouts rang loud and louder, and they 
broke off branches from the palms as they 
passed and waved them triumphantly. 

But the people of Jerusalem took no 
part in this demonstration. They said, 
"Who is this?" And the multitude an- 
swered, "This is Jesus, the Prophet of 
Nazareth." Some of the Pharisees came to 
Jesus and told Him to bid His followers 
hold their peace. Jesus answered, "If 
these should hold their peace, the stones 
would cry out." 

Jesus went into the temple, and, after 
looking around, disappointed the multi- 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

•tudes (who thought He would now pro- 
claim Himself king) by returning to Beth- 
any, where He remained during the nights 
of the feast. 

Monday He walked into Jerusalem, 
and for the second time drove the traders 
out of the temple. The lame and blind 
came to Him there, and He healed them. 
Tuesday morning He went again into the 
city, and for the last time taught in the 
temple; and the authorities came to Him 
and asked Him questions, hoping He would 
say something for which they could de- 
liver Him into the power of the governor. 
But Jesus knew their hearts, and He 
answered them so wisely that they could 
find nothing to complain about. Then 
Jesus told them how they pretended to be 
virtuous and said long prayers to make 
people think they were good; but that 
their hearts were very sinful and selfish, 
and that they loved power and the praise 
of men more than God. 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

They were ashamed and angry to be 
tX }s humiliated before all the people, and 
that very evening met and planned how 
they might kill Him. They decided it 
would be best to wait until the pilgrims 
who had come to the feast had returned 
home, for Jesus was very popular among 
them, and if He were arrested in their 
sight it might cause an uproar. It was 
at this meeting that Judas came to the 
authorities and offered to betray Jesus 
for money. Gladly they agreed to give 
him thirty pieces of silver, and sent the 
traitor away to find a good opportunity for 
them to arrest Christ. 



74 



CHAPTER X 

Thursday evening each family ate the 
Passover feast together in Jerusalem. Jesus 
and His twelve disciples were like a family, 
and therefore ate the Passover together, 
after which Jesus instituted the Lord's 
Supper. 

On the way to this feast the disciples 
disputed among themselves, because they 
all wanted the best seat at the table, for 
it was the custom to seat the family ac- 
cording to their rank, and the seats near 
Jesus were the places of honor. 

In those days men wore sandals, which 
were like soles of leather tied around the 
bare feet. They left these at the door as 
they came in, and the lowest servant 
usually washed the dust from their feet 
and wiped them with a towel. 

Jesus and His disciples had no servant, 
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PROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

and not one of The Twelve was willing to 
take the place of a servant and perform 
this service. They were selfish and cross. 
They all wanted to be the greatest, so they 
seated themselves at the table with un- 
washed feet, which was a very rude, im- 
polite thing to do. 

Jesus was grieved at the selfishness and 
pride which He saw in their hearts; and 
He arose from the table, laid aside His 
long garment, and, taking the basin of 
water and a towel, went to each of His 
disciples and washed their feet. 

Peter felt that He could not have his 
Lord and Master take a servant's place, 
and he said, "Thou shall not wash my feet;" 
but when Jesus replied, "If I wash thee 
not, then you are not one of mine," Peter 
gladly yielded. 

After Jesus had washed their feet and 
seated Himself again at the table, He told 
them He had done this to show them that 
love will make us willing to serve one an- 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

other, even if the work be humiliating and 
disagreeable, and that He wanted them to 
follow His example and serve and love one 
another, as He had loved them. Then He 
startled them all by saying, "One of you 
shall betray Me." 

The disciples looked at one another 
and wondered who it could be; and Peter 
beckoned to John, the dearest disciple, 
who sat at the right of Jesus, to ask who 
should do this awful deed, and John, al- 
most under his breath, asked, "Who is it, 
Lord?" Jesus answered, "He it is to whom 
I give the morsel of food;" and He gave it 
to Judas and said, "What thou doest, do 
quickly." The disciples did not under- 
stand what He meant; even John, who 
knew that Judas was the traitor, did not 
know that this was what Jesus alluded to. 
They thought that because Judas carried 
the money purse that Jesus wished him 
to buy something or give something to 
the poor. 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

After Judas went out Jesus said very 
tenderly, "Little children, I am going away 
soon, and you can not go with Me. A 
new commandment I give unto you, that 
ye love one another as I have loved you; 
and all men shall know that ye are My 
disciples if ye love one another." 

They all looked at Him with grief- 
stricken faces, and Peter asked, "Lord, 
whither goest Thou?" Jesus answered, 
"You can not go with Me now, but after- 
wards thou shalt follow Me." Then Peter 
said, "Why can not I follow Thee now? I 
will lay down my life for Thy sake." 

Jesus looked at him with pitying eyes, 
and said, "I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall 
not crow till thou hast denied Me three 
times." 

Then, when Jesus saw how sorrowful 
they were, He tried to comfort them. He 
told them not to be troubled, but to believe 
in Him. He was going back to live in His 
Father's house, and He would prepare a 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

place for them and sometime take them to 
live with Him forever. 

The disciples could not understand why 
it was best or necessary for Him to go 
away. They loved Him so much they 
thought that they could not live without 
Him, and they were afraid that they would 
not know what to do when they could 
not ask Jesus. Jesus told them they 
should still be His helpers, and that He 
wanted them to love and help and heal 
and teach as He had done ; and He promised 
to ask His Father to send them another 
Friend, who, though they could not see 
Him, would be always with all of them, 
wherever they went, and would teach them 
what to do and would help them to re- 
member and understand all that He had 
taught them. This Spirit of God which 
His Father would send He called "the 
Comforter." And Jesus kept His promise. 
"Ten days after He went to His Father's 
house the Holy Spirit came into the world, 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

and He has always been in the world to 
comfort and guide every one who will 
listen to Him and follow His teaching." 

A long time that Thursday evening 
Jesus talked to His disciples, and with 
many loving words tried to comfort them. 
Then He talked with His Father. He 
prayed for Himself and for His disciples 
and for the Church. 

It was midnight when they went out 
into the street., and out through the city 
gate, crossing the brook Kedron to the 
Mount of Olives. When they came to 
the Garden of Gethsemane., Jesus said to 
His disciples, "Remain here and watch 
while I go yonder." And He took with 
Him into the garden Peter, James, and 
John; and when they had reached a se- 
cluded spot under the olive trees He told 
them that His heart was very sorrowful, 
and asked them to wait and watch there 
while He went apart from them to pray 
to His Father. 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

His long talk with the disciples must 
have wearied Jesus. He had tried to pre- 
pare them for this hour and for the work 
which would be left for them to do; but 
they could not understand Him or sympa- 
thize with Him. He was to be betrayed 
into the hands of His enemies by one 
whom He had chosen and loved. His life 
was to be taken by those who should have 
been His helpers. He had come to reveal 
the love of God to them and to the whole 
world. His very life was love, and He 
thirsted for love, but they gave Him hate 
and scorned His love and dishonored His 
Father; and Jesus felt that He could not 
bear His trouble alone. Therefore He 
now went forward a little and kneeled down 
and prayed, O, so earnestly, that the bitter 
cup might be taken from Him. Then He 
said, "Not My will, O Father, but Thine 
be done." 

We can not understand just what He 
meant; but His Father understood, and 
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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

strengthened Him to overcome every fear 
and temptation. 

Three times He prayed this prayer, 
and three times returned to His disciples, 
to find them sleeping. The struggle ended 
in a complete victory, and with calmness 
and majesty, which never again left Him, 
He said to His disciples, "Why sleep ye? 
Watch and pray lest ye enter into tempta- 
tion. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is 
weak." 

While He was speaking He saw the 
gleam of torches through the branches of 
the olive trees and heard the tramp of 
many feet, and knew that His enemies 
were near. Judas was at their head, know- 
ing the place well, for he had often been 
there with Jesus and the other disciples — 
perhaps he hoped to find Him sleeping. 

Jesus went to meet them, and said, 
"Whom seek ye?" They answered, "Jesus 
of Nazareth." Jesus said, "I am He." 

There must have been something in the 
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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

tone of His voice and the expression of His 
face that awed them, for they started back- 
ward and fell to the ground. When they 
rose to their feet, Jesus repeated the ques- 
tion, "Whom seek ye?" Again they an- 
swered, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said, 
"I have told you that I am He." Then, 
fearing for the safety of His disciples, who 
had gathered around Him, He said, "If 
ye seek Me, let these go their way." 

Peter, with his sword, cut off a man's 
ear; but Jesus touched and healed it, and 
told Peter to put up his sword: He would 
not have His friends fight for Him, for He 
knew that He was doing His Father's will 
and glorifying Him. 

Jesus let the soldiers bind Him and 
lead Him back to the city, to the palace of 
the high priest. They took Him first to 
Annas, an old man who had been high 
priest and had great influence, then to his 
son-in-law Caiaphas, who was the high 
priest that year. 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

John and Peter followed Jesus, but the 
other disciples were afraid, and ran away. 
John knew the high priest, and went into 
the palace with Jesus; but Peter stood at 
the door without. Then John went and 
spoke to the woman who kept the door 
and brought in Peter. The woman looked 
curiously at him and said, "Art thou also 
one of this Man's disciples?" He replied, 
"I am not." Only a short time before 
Peter had vowed that he would go with 
Jesus even to death! And now he was 
afraid to say that he was His disciple. 

While the high priest questioned Jesus, 
and the elders and council were trying to 
find those who would witness against Him, 
Peter stood by the fire, which the servants 
had built, and warmed himself, for it was 
cold; and one of those who stood near him 
said, "Art not thou one of His disciples?" 
Again Peter said, "I am not." A little 
later a servant of the high priest, a kins- 
man to him whose ear Peter had cut off, 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

said to him, "Did I not see thee in the 
garden with Him?" This frightened Peter, 
and he swore that he never knew Him. 
Immediately the cock crew, for it was 
toward morning: just then Jesus turned 
and looked at Peter. 

When Peter heard the cock crow, and 
looked into the loving, pitying ewes of the 
Master, he remembered what Jesus had 
told him, that before the cock should crow 
he would three times deny Ilim. His 
heart was filled with shame and sorrow, 
and he went out and wept bitterly. 

Meanwhile the council could find noth- 
ing whereof to accuse Jesus. The witnesses 
could not agree, and the case seemed hope- 
less. Jesus was calm, serene, fearless, and 
listened in absolute silence to the contra- 
dictory testimonies. 

Then Caiaphas said to Him, "I com- 
mand You, by the living God, that You 
tell me whether You are the Christ, the 
Son of God." Jesus answered with quiet 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

dignity, "I am." Then the high priest, 
looking around on the members of the coun- 
cil, said, "You have heard the blasphemy; 
what think you?" And they all said, "He 
is deserving of death." 

When Judas saw that they condemned 
Him, he was sorry for what he had done. 
He thought, perhaps, that Jesus would 
escape from them by His own miraculous 
power; and when he saw that He made 
no defense, but would let them kill Him, 
he brought back the money to the chief 
priests and elders, saying, "I have be- 
trayed an innocent man. I have sinned. 
Take back your money and let Him go." 
But they answered heartlessly, "What is 
that to us?" And Judas threw down the 
thirty pieces of silver in the temple, and in 
despair went away and hanged himself. 



86 



CHAPTER XI 

While it was yet early they bound Jesus 
and led Him to Pilate, the Roman gov- 
ernor, for he was the only man who had 
power to say that Jesus should be put to 
death. They had hoped that Pilate would 
pass the sentence they desired without 
looking into the case; but Pilate asked them 
what Jesus had done, and they said, 
"If He were not an evil doer we should 
not have brought Him to you." Pilate 
said, "Judge Him, then, according to your 
law." Then the Jews answered, "It is not 
lawful for us to put any man to death." 
And when they saw that Pilate would not 
condemn Him without a cause, they said 
He had perverted the nation and forbade 
the people to pay tribute to Rome, and 
called Himself a King. These charges were 
false, and Pilate thought so. Then he took 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

Jesus into the judgment hall to examine 
Him. The more he talked with Him the 
more he was convinced that Jesus had 
done no wrong; and he went out and told 
the Jews that he found no fault in Him. 

The Jews were enraged, and cried out, 
saying, "He has excited the people through- 
out the whole land, beginning in Galilee." 
When Pilate heard this he remembered 
that Herod, the ruler of Galilee, was in the 
city, and, hoping to get rid of the whole 
affair, he sent the prisoner to Herod, who 
had come to the Passover for its novel 
spectacle. 

Herod was glad to see Jesus, about 
whom he had heard so much, and hoped 
to see at once some miracle performed. 
He asked Him many questions, but Jesus, 
in silent disdain, answered not. Then 
Herod and his soldiers mocked Him, and 
dressed Him in a cast-off robe and sent 
Him back to the Roman governor. 

Again Pilate tried to release Jesus. He 
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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

said, "You have a custom that every year, 
at the Passover, I should release to you 
one prisoner. Shall I release unto you 
the King of the Jews?" And they an- 
swered, "Not this man, but Barabbas." 

The authorities had been planning for a 
long time how they might put Jesus to 
death, and now they did not mean to let 
Him go. They had rather release Barab- 
bas, the robber. 

Pilate said, "What shall I do with 
Jesus?" and they cried out, 'Crucify Him!" 
Pilate asked, "Why, what evil hath He 
done?" and their answer was, "Away with 
Him! Crucify Him ! " Pilate did not 
mean to grant their request, but he sent 
Jesus away to be scourged; and when the 
soldiers had beaten Him cruelly with sharp 
lashes they put upon Him a purple rol 
and a crown of thorns on His head, and 
bowed down before Him in mock worship. 

When they brought Him back to Pilate, 
faint and bleeding, wearing the purple robe 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

and crown of thorns, Pilate thought if 
they could see His suffering and helpless- 
ness they would pity Him and be satisfied 
to release Him; and He brought Jesus out 
where the crowd could see Him, saying, 
" Behold the Man ! " But they cried louder 
than ever, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him! 
By our law He ought to die, because He 
called Himself the Son of God." When 
Pilate heard this, he tried all the more to 
release Him. Then the Jews said, "If you 
let this man go you are not Caesar's friend, 
for whoever makes himself a king is an 
enemy to Caesar." Then Pilate was afraid 
that they would complain against him to 
the emperor and he might lose his position 
as governor. He was not a hero, who 
would do what he thought was right at 
any cost. He was a selfish man of the 
world, and knew that his past life had been 
very wicked and would not bear examina- 
tion; so he gave Jesus into their hands to 
be crucified. 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

And the soldiers took Jesus and led 
Him away to the place of execution and 
crucified Him with two others, one on 
either side of Jesus. 

It was the custom to put the name and 
crime of the person executed on the cross. 
Therefore Pilate wrote the title, "Jesus of 
Nazareth, the King of the Jews." And it 
was written in Hebrew and Greek and 
Latin, so every one could read it. The 
chief priests wanted Pilate to change this 
title and write, "He said, 'I am King 
of the Jews." But Pilate, now having 
nothing to fear or gain, would make no 
change. 

Thousands of people, for it was a Pass- 
over holiday, followed Jesus to the place 
of execution; foremost among them were 
the chief priests and scribes, who mocked 
Him. Through their lips the devil tried 
again to tempt Him. They said, "He 
saved others; Himself He can not save. 
If He be the King of Israel let Him now 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

come down from the cross and we will 
believe Him." 

Crucifixion was an awful death, and 
was reserved for slaves and for those whose 
end the government wanted to stamp with 
public disgrace. Sometimes the victims 
lived two or three days. Jesus lived about 
six hours, and triumphed over His suffering 
by self -forgetting love. He prayed for His 
murderers while He was being nailed to the 
cross, saying, "Father, forgive them; for 
they know not what they do." He forgave 
the penitent man, who was crucified with 
Him; and when He saw His mother stand- 
ing near the cross with her sister and Mary, 
the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene, 
He gave her into the care of John, the 
disciple whom He loved, who also stood 
by her, supporting her trembling form. It 
was about nine o'clock when they led 
Jesus out to be crucified. At noon the sun 
was darkened, and for three long hours 
the strange darkness overspread the land, 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

and the vast multitude waited in terror to 
see what would happen. Then, at the 
hour of the afternoon sacrifice, through 
the darkness and silence rang the cry, 
"My God, My God, why hast Thou for- 
saken Me?" No one can ever understand 
what agony of soul Jesus suffered when He 
uttered this cry; and many voices ex- 
claimed, "See! He is deserted and pun- 
ished by the Almighty." But while they 
were speaking a bright glory shone around 
Him, and He said, "I thirst;" and they 
lifted to His parched lips a sponge filled 
with sour wine, which the soldiers had 
brought for themselves to drink. Then 
He said, "It is finished;" and He bowed 
His head and gave up His life, saying, 
"Father, into Thy hands I commend My 
spirit." 

The earth trembled and shook, rocks 
were rent, and the veil of the temple, 
which separated the most holy place (where 
were the ark of the covenant and the mercy 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

seat) from the other parts of the temple, 
was torn in two from the top to the bot- 
tom, to show us that the way to the throne 
of mercy is open to all. Then the sun 
reappeared, and the centurion who stood by 
said, "Truly this Man was the Son of 
God." 



94 



CHAPTER XII 

When the evening was come, for it was 
the day before the Sabbath, a man whose 
name was Joseph went to Pilate and 
begged the body of Jesus. 

Pilate called to him the centurion and 
asked him how long Jesus had been dead; 
and when he knew he gave Joseph per- 
mission to take the body away. Then 
Nicodemus, who first came to see Jesus 
by night, brought a hundred pounds of 
spices; and they took the body of Him 
whom they loved and wrapped it in linen 
clothes with the spices, and laid Him in a 
new T sepulcher which was hewn out of a 
rock; and they rolled a great stone to the 
door. The women also followed Him to the 
tomb and saw where He was laid, for it 
was in a garden near by. Then with sad 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

hearts they returned home and prepared 
sweet spices and rested over the Sab- 
bath. 

The next day the chief priests and 
Pharisees went to Pilate and said, "We 
remember that the deceiver said, 'After 
three days He would rise again;' command, 
therefore, that the sepulcher be made sure, 
lest His disciples come by night and steal 
His body and tell the people that He is 
risen again from the dead." Pilate an- 
swered, "You have a watch; make it as 
sure as you can." And they went and made 
the sepulcher secure, sealing the stone and 
setting soldiers to guard it. 

The first day of the week, which is our 
Sunday, Mary Magdalene and several other 
women who had followed Jesus to the 
cross and the tomb, went very early in 
the morning to carry sweet spices to lay 
around the body of Him whom they loved. 
As they walked thither they wondered 
whom they could get to roll away the 

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heavy stone from the door of the tomb. 
But there was no need for them to be 
anxious about that, for, early as it was, 
some one had been there before them. An 
angel from heaven had rolled away the 
stone, and the soldiers who were left to 
guard the tomb were so afraid that they 
fell down like dead men; but later they 
went to the chief priests and Pharisees and 
told them what they had seen and heard: 
and they paid the soldiers money to say 
that His disciples came in the night while 
they were sleeping and stole Him away. 

When Mary Magdalene saw that the 
stone had been rolled away she thought 
the body of Jesus had been stolen, and she 
ran back to the city to tell Peter and 
John, for she thought they ought to know 
about it. When they heard the news they 
ran as quickly as they could to the garden, 
and they went into the tomb and saw the 
linen clothes lying there, and the napkin, 
which was about His head, folded and laid 
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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

by itself. Then suddenly there flashed into 
the mind of John a remembrance of what 
Jesus had told them — "That He must 
suffer and die and rise again the third 
day" — and he said aloud, "He is risen!" 
Peter looked at him in amaze. He could 
hardly believe the great truth. And they 
went again home, wondering where they 
could find Him. 

Mary of Magdala returned as quickly 
as she could, but when she reached the 
sepulcher Peter and John had gone, and 
she stood by the tomb and wept. Then 
she stooped down and looked into that 
little room hewn out of the rock, and she 
saw two angels, one sitting at the head 
and the other at the feet, where the body 
of Jesus had lain; and they said, "Why 
weepest thou?" She answered, "Because 
they have taken my Lord away, and I 
know not where they have laid Him." 
She turned around as she spoke and saw 
a man standing near her, and she thought 

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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

it was the gardener. He spoke to her, say- 
ing, "Woman, why weepest thou? Whom 
seekest thou?" She said, beseechingly, 
"Sir, If Thou hast taken Him away, tell 
Me where Thou hast laid Him." 

Then the loving, tender voice she had 
so often heard spoke one little word — 
"Mary!" And with the joyful cry, "Mas- 
ter!" she threw herself at His feet and 
worshiped Him. 

And He said unto her, "Go and tell 
My disciples that I am risen." 

When she had gone to do His bidding, 
He met the other women who still lingered 
in the garden, and spoke to them, and 
told them also to go and tell His disciples 
to meet Him in Galilee. 

The disciples had been weeping and 
mourning together. They were disap- 
pointed and disheartened, and they could 
not believe it was true when the women 
told them that they had seen Jesus. 

He had told them about His death and 
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FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER 

resurrection, but they had not understood 
these sayings. 

Some time during that day Peter saw 
Jesus. No one has ever told us about 
that meeting. It must have been so sacred 
to Peter that he buried it deep down in 
his heart, in the holy of holies; and no one 
but Jesus and Peter ever knew anything 
about it. 

When the apostles saw the risen Christ, 
and He talked with them and taught them, 
they became courageous, hopeful, and be- 
lieving. He lingered long enough on earth 
to convince them of the truth of His 
resurrection. He told them to go into all 
the world and preach the gospel to every- 
body, and He would always be with them. 
One day He led them out to Mount Olivet 
and lifted up His hands and blessed them; 
and, while He was praying, He was parted 
from them and a bright cloud received 
Him out of their sight and carried Him 
up into heaven. 

100 



FEB 20 1913 



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